Japan PM explains his plans not to attend Moscow parade in letter to Putin

TOKYO, April 30. /TASS/. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a personal letter to President Vladimir Putin explaining the reasons why he will not be able to attend the May 9 celebrations on occasion of the 70th anniversary of Victory, the chief cabinet secretary said on Thursday.

"The letter explains that the visit to Moscow cannot take place due to problems with the prime minister’s working schedule," Yoshihide Suga stressed, giving no further details on the content of the letter to the Russian president.

Japan’s government on April 28 announced the same reason for plans of the prime minister not to come to Moscow. Japan’s media reports earlier said that Abe’s decision came with due regard to the stance of leaders of the US and other G7 countries.

The Japanese prime minister also allegedly took into consideration the lack of progress at talks with Moscow on the peace treaty and on solving the dispute over the South Kuril Islands.

However, this did not prevent Japan’s former prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, to take part in the celebrations in the Russian capital on occasion of the 60th anniversary of Victory in 2005.